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“We’re at the wellness center. Steve, everything okay?” I don’t remember ever hearing him out of breath or worked up before. Dread blooms in my stomach. “Steve?”

Eden hears my side of the conversation, a hand flying to her mouth. “No.” A soft, plaintive plea.

“I’m with Matt…W-we’ve got Weston.”

Not “he’s safe”. Not “hey, good news”. My heart sinks so quickly, my head spins as I balance myself against the oak next to me. “Steve?”

“Listen, I’m heading to you. I’m close. Where are you exactly?”

Stop. Back up. Weston…How is our son?All words I want to say but can’t get out.

“Keir?” Eden is tugging at the arm of my shirt, her face reddening and eyes filling with tears. “Nooo…noooo, not my baby.”

I don’t know how far from the main building we’ve ventured into the woods. I grab Eden’s hand, pulling her as I run back the way we’ve come. “We’re going to Eden’s office…okay? Steve, do you hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll be there soon.”

I look over at Eden, whose cheeks are wet with silent tears. I swallow down a bellow that quakes inside my chest. Why was Matt with Weston? Did officers find them? What is going on?

All the times I pushed away the questions…about Halcyon, about Matt’s role in Camp Carroll, about the code sixty-seven.

Now I wonder if this is on me.

If my judgement was clouded by my love.

All my training feels ineffective right now; the stakes are too immeasurable.

Our lives are about to go up in flames

Chapter Thirty-Six

X

Hutton

RelayingwhatIthinkthe words in the video mean, Matt nods along. I tell him to go as I'm taking a few steps back into the lab to get the tablet and note. “Are you sure?” he asks.

“That has to be what he meant. Go, I’m right behind you. Go get Weston.”

I run through the door with an arm out to grab the tablet and leave, but the door slams shut behind me.

The trap was set, if I had to guess, long before I came back here.

This is what was always going to happen.

Camp Carroll…the beginning and end. They knew I would never leave the building without finding out who is behind it all. That my unquenched rage over taking my son would cloud my judgement.

The tablet is no longer there…Someone was in the room with us. Watching us.

Did Matt make it out, or was it all a tease?

Not giving up, I push and kick at the door. Grabbing one of the metal carts, I smash it against the door. A digitized voice comes over the speaker system in the room. “It’s no use, X.”

I haven’t been called that since I met Eden six years ago when she saw me as a person instead of a product to be used.

“Who are you? A coward? Show your face, at least.” I try to keep my voice emotionless, but it’s pointless. Whether I draw on years of programming or let emotion take over, they have a plan that nothing I say will change.

“You’ll know soon enough.” The speaker crackles as it cuts off.